how to chart datas over a period?

Raamkumar Manickavasagam

Hello Everyone,

I am struggling to find a way to chart this data, where I got hours of each resource required for each project. Trying to chart total number of hours of each resource over a period, lets say for the next 3 months of project lined up.

I am at a stage where I can only be able to chart them per project of each resource which I don't want. I got the metrics value from sheet summary which is displayed in the dashboard but chart is what I am looking for.

Each color bar represents each resource and their hours,. ultimately I would want each resource hours summed up and chart them as 5 separate columns over quarter 1.

Any suggestions or guiding will be really helpful. Please find the images below for reference.

Thank you.

Genevieve P.

Hi @Raamkumar Manickavasagam

Great news! You posted this question at the perfect time. Smartsheet released a new feature just yesterday which allows Charts in a Dashboard to take their source data from the Grouping and Summary rows of a Report! See the Release Notes on this new feature, here.

This means you can build your bar chart from the numbers you're currently displaying as metrics in your Report. Let me know if this resolves your issue!

Cheers,

Genevieve

Genevieve P.

Hi @Raamkumar Manickavasagam

No, you would need to create individual source reports for each Chart Widget in order to plot different grouping or filters. However, to make this easier, you could create a duplicate Report using the "Save as New" function and then you would only need to make minor adjustments (versus starting from scratch).

I hope that helps!

Cheers,

Genevieve

Genevieve P.

Hi @Raamkumar Manickavasagam

Great news! You posted this question at the perfect time. Smartsheet released a new feature just yesterday which allows Charts in a Dashboard to take their source data from the Grouping and Summary rows of a Report! See the Release Notes on this new feature, here.

This means you can build your bar chart from the numbers you're currently displaying as metrics in your Report. Let me know if this resolves your issue!

Cheers,

Genevieve

Raamkumar Manickavasagam

Hi @Genevieve P. thank you for your reply and the update. I just had the opportunity to get my hands on it, it's great thank you. Just a one more question on top of that, while I chart I want the bars to be in a specific order than a random one. Is there a way to do it? For example from the reference above, I would want green bar at first then followed by orange, red, blue and purple. I have tried selecting the data in that order still it does chart it random. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you!

Genevieve P.

Hi @Raamkumar Manickavasagam

The Chart will map data based on the order of your columns in the source. In your image, 378 will be the first number mapped. If you want a different column first, drag and drop it to be the first one listed in your source!

Let me know if that works for you.

Cheers,

Genevieve

Raamkumar Manickavasagam

Hi @Genevieve P.

As you can see from below images, it is clear that they chart in random from the report. The first part of the chart should be as 0 0 0 0 0 53 0 84 13 30 25 but they seemed to be not. I guess its just on the new feature, but I am not sure what making it do that. Thanks

Genevieve P.

Hi @Raamkumar Manickavasagam

If you created the Chart Widget first, then rearranged the order of your columns in the Report, it may still be pulling the previous/historical order.

Please try the following:

• Open up the Chart Widget, go to the Data Source and click Edit
• Click any other Smartsheet item, then click back on to the Report
• Save the widget and re-fresh your Dashboard

Do you still see an incorrect order of columns?

Cheers,

Genevieve

Raamkumar Manickavasagam

Hi @Genevieve P.

Sorry for getting back late on this, yes I still see incorrect order of columns, every time I repeat the steps that you suggested it randomize every time too. Thank you

Genevieve P.

Hi @Raamkumar Manickavasagam

My apologies! I was testing with a chart that always has values. I can see in your screen capture that there are a lot of 0 values. In my testing, Chart widgets read the 0 values in a different way which then sets the column order to no longer be associated with the Report order.

At this point there isn't a way to customize the order of the values from the Chart widget, please provide your feedback on this new feature to our Product Team through this form, here.

Thank you,

Genevieve

Raamkumar Manickavasagam

Hi @Genevieve P.

Right I see, thanks for your time. Really appreciate it. Sure will do!

Raamkumar Manickavasagam

Hi @Genevieve P.

One more question, I was just wondering if there is a way to get around to plot multiple charts with same report filtered or grouped differently, other than creating copies of report for each chart. Thanks

Genevieve P.

Hi @Raamkumar Manickavasagam

No, you would need to create individual source reports for each Chart Widget in order to plot different grouping or filters. However, to make this easier, you could create a duplicate Report using the "Save as New" function and then you would only need to make minor adjustments (versus starting from scratch).

I hope that helps!

Cheers,

Genevieve